National Fast to Say “Not One More Deportation”

Introduction:

Day laborers, members of the immigrant community, and organizations within the National Day Laborer Organizing Network are holding a rolling fast that begins on May Day in Mountainview, CA and continues through Florida, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon, and other sites over the course of the next month a half.

Participants bring a moral voice to shift the immigration debate as they publicly share their stories of the impact of deportations on their own lives to say “Not One More” and demand the President suspend the deportations as Congress seeks immigration reform.

We Fast to Demand:

1) The President immediately suspend deportations.

With more than 1,100 people deported each day, deportations are causing a crisis with families and children separated from their loved ones at the center. We ask President Obama to use his executive power to suspend deportation as Congress seeks a just immigration reform.

2) The Democrats and Republicans pass immigration reform that’s inclusive of all 11 million undocumented people in the US.

For immigration reform to be considered comprehensive it must protect workers’ rights and civil rights, reject militarization, and eliminate the barriers to the path to citizenship so it is inclusive of all those who call the US home and are awaiting legalization.

Current Cities

Antonio Vanegas worked for 3 years at the Ronald Reagan Federal Building in Washington, DC. He frequently worked close to 70 hours per week, and earning $6.50 per hour with no overtime pay. Antonio decided to join Good Jobs Nation, a campaign of workers in federal buildings standing up for respect on the job and asking President Obama to take executive action and guarantee that federal contractors pay their workforce a living wage. On May 21st, Antonio joined 150 workers from federal buildings all across DC on a one-day strike.
That same day, Antonio testified in front of members of Congress about his pay and working conditions. A few days after returning to work, he was detained by the Federal Protective Service and was told there was a problem with his ID—the same ID he had used the previous three years. FPS turned him over to ICE, and he was detained for 4 days. Antonio has an immigration hearing in August. He and his co-workers took his detention as retaliation for speaking out and he wants to let everyone that workers are not taking injustice, anymore. That’s why he is joining the hunger strike and asking the President to stop the deportations of hard-working immigrants.

Carlos Castillo is a Peruvian that arrived in the United States three years go. In Peru, he studied mechanical engineering and worked part-time in a transportation company. He decided to take the risk of coming to the United States because he had the notion that this was the country of opportunity where there were more opportunities to grow. He never imagined that things would turn so grey. He worked in everything, in restaurants, washing cars, and now in construction.
This soon helped him realize that that a large percentage of society, especially immigrants, don’t have access to resources needed to get ahead. He realized that not many enjoy the privilege of having health a insurance or a good job—the most basic things needed to live.
He is participating in the fast as a member of Trabajadores Unidos de D.C. ( Day Labores)because he wants to support the movement to liberate the immigrant community. He says that we should not let the mistreatment and discrimination against our communities continue. Carlos believes that if we want to grow, we ourselves have to organize and move forward. For him, this is only a first step taking collectively towards advancing our rights.

Carlos Mauricio was a professor at the University of El Salvador in June 1983 when he was kidnapped from his classroom, forced into an unmarked van and taken to National Police headquarters, where he was tortured for two weeks. Upon his release, he fled to the U.S.
In 2002, he was one of three plaintiffs who successfully sued two former Salvadoran Ministers of Defense for their responsibility in his imprisonment and torture. The generals were ordered to pay $54 million. In 2002, Carlos founded the Stop Impunity Project, which works to bring an end to the impunity enjoyed by human rights abusers in El Salvador.
Carlos has worked closely with the School of the Americas Watch to close this Pan American training facility. Last year, for the sixth time, he took a caravan from San Francisco through twelve cities across the country to the annual vigil to close the School of the Americas at Fort Benning, Georgia. Carlos has also taken part in SOAW delegations to Argentina, Uruguay, Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru and Chile in 2006, and Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras in 2007. He was instrumental in persuading the governments of Argentina, Uruguay and Bolivia to stop sending troops to the School of the Americas.
In 2006 and 2007 Carlos lived in Burma, closely monitoring the human rights situation. In 2007, he visited Cambodia, to meeting with representatives of human rights and museums of historical memory to research the Cambodian struggle against impunity. In 2008 and 2009 he lived in Peru, closely following the trial of ex-president Fujimori, as well as the indigenous uprising in the Amazon.
In November 2009, as a member of a delegation invited by President Mauricio Funes, and together with representatives of Amnesty International, the Center for Justice and Accountability, he attended ceremonies in San Salvador to commemorate the assassinations of the six Jesuit priests and their two housekeepers.
In his efforts to build a Museum of Memory in El Salvador, he is currently working with an organization of former political prisoners and torture survivors and returns to El Salvador regularly.
I'm in fasting in Washington DC to call attention to a serious problem, a problem of humanity: that deportations are unfair because they separate families. Nor is it moral to deport parents of young people born in the United States, this is against the fundamental right of children to have a family, right under the Universal Declaration of the Rights of the Child, established by the United Nations.

I am from Nicaragua and have lived in the US since the age of 12. I am the only US citizen in my mix-status family. When we lived in Nicaragua my family used to say that United States was the land of opportunities. They said immigrating here would open doors to a better life for us as a family. Shortly, after immigrating to this country, we discovered that was not the case. We discovered a world of criminalization in our schools and neighborhoods, miseducation, racial and ethnic discrimination, police and presence and surveillance, sub poverty wages, economic exploitation, cultural repression, mass incarcerations, mass deportations, family separation, etc.
As an organizer is my duty to support the efforts of my community by any means necessary. That is why I am fasting. We need to fix problems from the root and demand justice. We cannot longer accept being labeled as invaders in our own continent! We are not immigrants. We are just new neighbors in our relatives’ lands. We must refuse to be label as “illegal” and criminals in our ancestors territory. And we must resist living a life under police and ICE control. The permanent marginalization and criminalization of undocumented folks, people of color, and poor whites needs to come to an end! We cannot longer give more power to Power at the expense of our humanity. THE TIME IS NOW! We need to fight as a united front to stop being treated as second class humans. We all deserve the right to a dignified life. !Si se Puede! NOT1MOREdeportation!

June 30th - July 31st: Philadelphia, PA - New Sanctuary Movement of Philadelphia

New Sanctuary Movement of Philadelphia is an interfaith, multicultural immigrant rights coalition. We believe immigrant communities should lead the movement for immigrant justice while allies support and stand in solidarity with them.

From June 22 to July 31, New Sanctuary Movement is holding 40 Days of Action, Fasting, and Prayer for Immigrant Justice to demand that the City of Philadelphia end all collaboration with ICE , which has resulted in mass deportations; and that Pennsylvania elected representatives vote YES for just and humane federal immigration reform. Over 70 individuals and 13 faith communities are fasting and praying for immigration justice with NSM. We will break our 40 day fast with a community meal on July 31. We invite Senator Toomey, Mayor Nutter, District Attorney Williams, and President Judge Neifield to join us and pledge their support for just immigration policies on July 31st.

While we go without food for 40 days, millions of immigrants are separated from their families for indefinite periods of time because of unjust immigration policy. At this critical time, we draw upon our powerful faith traditions and the legacy of social movements to call for 40 days of:

Sunday, June 30: Worship service at Philadelphia Praise Center
Members of the Praise Center will hold a rolling fast from June 29 – July 5.

Wednesday, July 3: A non eating Un-Barbecue Party at the Liberty Bell to demand that Philadelphia extend liberty to immigrant members of our community by ending police/ice collaboration

Sunday, July 7: Worship service at Central Baptist Church of Wayne
Members of Central Baptist Church will hold a rolling fast from July 6 – July 12.

Friday, July 12: Central Baptist Church of Wayne holds a break-the-fast celebration to end their week of fasting.

Saturday, July 13: Members of Mishkan Shalom Reconstructionist Synagogue will will hold a rolling fast from July 13 – July 19.

Sunday, July 14: Worship service at Tabernacle Church in honor of NSM’s campaign

Monday, July 15: Vigil outside of York County Detention Facility and visit inside to people in deportation proceedings.

Sunday, July 20: Worship service at Visitation BVM Church
Members of Visitation will hold a rolling fast between Saturday, July 19 – 26.

Monday, July 29: Interfaith worship service at Calvary Center for Culture and Community with West Philly Mennonite, Calvary United Methodist Church, and Kol Tzedek synagogue.

Sunday, July 27: Worship service at St. Vincent de Paul Church
Members of St. Vincent’s will hold a rolling fast between July 27 – 31.

Wednesday, July 31: Public action to break the fast with all NSM members and supporters at Arch St UMC’s Nicholls Hall from 6pm – 8pm. We invite all NSM members, supporters, sponsoring organizations, and elected officials to attend this community meal to show their support for just and humane immigration policies locally.

My name is Romeo Sosa, I came to this country 20 years ago and I am fasting because I believe that it is unfair that while the debates around immigration take place in Congress, thousands of people are being deported every day. I know I am sacrificing my health but there is no better way to make my voice heard by those in power.

Camilo Marquez is a 71-year-old retired physician: My family is from the Caribbean. We have been very successful, but not without struggling. My life has been relatively easy; I want to respect those who are suffering today by briefly sharing in their pain and sacrifice. I am a leader in Jobs with Justice and dedicate my time in retirement to social justice.

Rosa Gomez: I am fasting because my fiancé is detained in the Detention Center in Tacoma Washington and I am also in solidarity with the produce and food package workers that are mainly made up of immigrants. I am fasting for the liberty and justice for all human beings because I believe no human being is illegal.

Samantha Loza is a senior at Portland State University. She is majoring in International Studies with a regional focus in Latin America. She has worked in social services for 5 years, helping advocate for housing, health, employment and other resources. Samantha's parents were immigrant farm workers and she has first hand experience with the struggles immigrant families face. She has been a long-time supporter of immigrant rights.

Sara Brells is originally from Tacoma, WA but is proud to now call herself an Oregonian. While working on her BA in Political Science at Pacific University she developed a passion for grassroots organizing around social justice issues, particularly immigrant rights and education reform. She recently returned from a year in Ecuador spent conducting research on indigenous education and is excited to join Voz as a Development Intern. Aside from Voz she works with children and studies alternative approaches to education. She intends to someday merge the skills gained from these experiences and open her own intercultural community education center. She is participating in the fast to stand in solidarity with the families of my community who are so negatively impacted by the policies of our country.

Dr. Fernando Gapasin is a former professor of Industrial Relations and Chicano/a Studies. He is a 50-year veteran of the U.S. Labor movement. He co-authored Solidarity Divided with Bill Fletcher Jr. He is currently a Field Representative for OSEA/AFT Local 6732 and the Oregon State Chair for the National Writers Union/United Auto Workers local 1981. He is also on the Executive Committee of Portland Jobs with Justice.

My name is Alexis, I am a student of social work and a volunteer with the Interfaith Movement for Immigrant Justice (IMIRJ) in Portland, OR. As someone who has spent time in sending communities in Latin America, along the US-Mexico border, and in immigrant communities in the US, I've seen how unjust policies all along the way have perpetuated the current immigration crisis. I am ashamed of the way our country treats immigrants, who form the backbone of our economy and are an integral part of our communities. I am participating in this fast to call attention to the devastating separation of families and communities as a result of deportations. They must stop while our very broken system is fixed.

Francisco Aguirre is originally from El Salvador. He has worked as a day labor and with the day labor community for over ten years both in Portland and in Los Angeles. Francisco was involved in the Workers’ Organizing Committee that went on to found Voz Workers’ Rights Education Project as a federally recognized 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Francisco has continued to demonstrate his leadership skills and dedication to economic justice for the Portland day laborer community. Francisco Aguirre is currently the MLK Jr. Worker Center Coordinator.

Paul Riek has spent most of his life in Mexico, Paraguay, and Nicaragua. Paul founded an innovative prison program in Tehuantepec, Oaxaca, Mexico, organizing inmates as leaders to serve the community. He is a member of the musical band Bajo Salario that explores the revolutionary musical traditions of Latin America. Paul is married to Aurelia, an indigenous Zapotec woman from Oaxaca and an herbal medicine specialist. Paul is currently the Organizer at Voz. He is fasting in solidarity with all his friends and relatives who have been deported or live daily with the threat of deportation.

My name is James Lopez Ericksen and I will be fasting May 30-31st, 2013 in support to end deportations. I have lived in NE and N Portland for most of the last twenty years in mostly poor communities of color. As a white male, I recognize the slow work to first sit, listen, and learn when entering different ethnic communities. And in everything I do, recognize the good work of others who give tirelessly with little or no resources and recognition. It is my belief that trust, respect, and dignity are three of the most important elements in how we are to treat others. Within the community I live in, Portsmouth, and the school my son attends, I am intentional to befriend my immigrant neighbors. I have served on the board of the Oregon Farm Worker Ministry for a little less than a year. My beautiful, patient wife is 1st generation from El Salvador and teaches me daily how to live out the faith. I have two incredible children, a son age 7, and a daughter age 3. A quote I love and live by is, "I am a shepard," he said, "who, with his people, has begun to learn a beautiful and difficult truth: our Christian faith requires that we submerge ourselves in this world." -Oscar Romero

Greg Margolis is a 64 year old semi retired paralegal worker who has lived in Portland for 30 years. He is a long time member of Portland Jobs with Justice, Co-chair of JWJ Global Justice and Trade Committee, a member of the Jobs With Justice Executive Board, and is also active with many other social justice groups. He says “I support immigrant rights because my grandparents were immigrants and at one time so were the ancestors of most Americans. I do not believe any human being should be criminalized for merely crossing an arbitrary border. I also believe that our governmental policies have been responsible for expanding the need for migration especially from Mexico as a result of the NAFTA "free" trade agreement. This agreement allowed major American agricultural conglomerates to undersell Mexican farmers by removing tariffs and subsidizing these huge corporations with American tax payer money. As a result some 2 million agricultural workers in Mexico lost their ability to make a living farming and were forced to migrate here to make money to feed their families.”

Cory Lira: I'm an educator and cultural worker from Portland, Oregon and I am fasting for my family and my community. I am a third generation xicana and I come from a line of strong women that worked hard to ensure our family survived despite deep rooted American racism and oppression. Day labors and field workers are my cousins, my grandparents, my friends, my community. I fast to honor their contribution to our communities, I fast because immigration reform must happen now. I fast because deportation must stop and real comprehensive changes to our immigration must take place instead. I fast for the families torn apart and I fast for my future children's right to equality and respect.

John Munson: I am a lawyer and I volunteer with the wage claim program at VOZ. We are all immigrants and injustice for one is injustice for all. In the words of Bishop Desmond Tutu “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your
neutrality.”

Abdias Cortez: I am diabetic and I take the risk of casting because casting and prayer have power through faith. I struggle for just and humane immgration reform and no more deportations. Not one more.

Day laborers, members of the immigrant community, and organizations within the National Day Laborer Organizing Network are holding a rolling fast that began on May Day in Mountain View, CA and continues in cities across the country throughout May and June 2013. Here in Portland we will fast 10:00am May 30th, 2013-5:00pm May 31st. It will be a liquids-only fast in the Community Center at St. Andrew’s Church located at 806 NE Alberta St Portland, OR 97211. We invite you to join us in this fast that brings a moral voice to the immigration debate to move the President and Congress people to relieve the suffering of families separated by deportation and move forward with inclusive reform.

We also invite you to our community forum on comprehensive immigration reform if you have been directly affected by the lack of a reform policy. This forum will be in Spanish. We will learn in detail what the specifics are around the proposed bill proposed in Congress so that we can clarify the confusion in our community and move forward with concrete action steps for each of us to participate in this critical conversation. The forum will also take place in the Community Center at St. Andrew’s Church located at 806 NE Alberta St Portland, OR 97211.

Photo Gallery of Action:

Fast Participants:

Brenda Narvaez: I’m 18 years old born in Illinois but my mind, heart, body and soul are Mexican. I’m a full-time student, part time English as a Second Language, and a full-time activist.
“I do this because I am the daughter of an undocumented single mother who my brother and I cannot lose. Also because, it is right to be here (just look at what forced to migrate and who these lands belonged to) & I want to fight along the side of my people”

Rudy Perez is a member of WeCount originally from Guatemala. he has been an active member of his church for the past there years and is a leader among day laborers building a stronger community.
“We want to stop the unjust deportations in our community. I'll fast to send a message to the President that the people justice and liberty. It's not just that they keep deporting our people. It's urgent that we get immigration reform."

Blanca Velasquez is a mother of two, English student at WeCount and originally from El Salvador.
“I fast because I am a victim of the unjust immigration system in the US. I am fighting to stop my own deportation and I believe in the necessity of stop the deportations of our whole community."

Originally from Guatelama Miguel speaks Maya Ixil and is a member of WeCount. Miguel works as a day laborer and in agriculture. He was a participant in the "Keep Your Promise" caravan to Washington to meet with the White House and promote immigration reform.
“It's time to raise our voices. I have no fear and I will fast because I believe that the sacrifice is worth it to send a message of peace and solidarity with all 11 million. In Homestead we want to see an end to the deportations of farmworkers."

Maria Rodriguez is the current Executive Director of the Florida Immigrant Coalition which she founded in 2005. She has worked to defend basic human rights of low-income and migrant peoples for over 25 years. She is also a dedicated mother.
"I am fasting to stop the separation of families and to stop the detention and deportations of all immigrants; our people."

Guadalupe De La Cruz is a Chicana proudly from two immigrant parents. She's been in the fight for immigrant justice for some time. Guadalupe is a child care provider from WeCount! who has personally seen the pain and fear in the eyes of children affected by local raids in my community.
“I am here as a representative for those families, as well as the many others, whom are afraid to come out of the shadows. I am their voice demanding an Immigration reform with a path to citizenship. We have waited long enough and need this to keep our families together. We cannot continue the injustice and abuse. The time is NOW! SI SE PUEDE”

Cynthia Moreno is 22 and originally from Tamaulipas, Mexico coming to the U.S. with her family in 2002. She has been involved at WeCount since 2006 and has evolved from youth leader to organizer.
"I am fasting because I am fed up of seeing my community being abused by the enormous amount of raids, detentions and deportations causing our families to be separated, our kids to be traumatized and our people to live in an oppressive environment."

Oscar Danilo Balladares: I am a Nicaraguan immigrant. When I was five years old, for one month I crossed several borders with my mother and 3 older brothers, arriving in Miami in late January 1989. Having been raised in some of the most impoverished neighborhoods of the United States I learned first hand that justice was reserved for some, not all.
Today, I organize with Florida New Majority (FNM), as a community organizer with FNM I fight to mend a broken and unequal voting system that keeps minorities from civic participation.
“I fast because in my personal life I deal with another broken system, immigration. My family and community are constantly torn apart by draconian and racist immigration policies. Today, I want to be a part of a fight that stands up for human dignity. No mas ilegales, idle no more”.

Rebecca Wood: Has been living in Miami for 10 years, working on housing and land rights issues with the Take Back the Land Movement and the Kijani Collective, and has worked as an ally with Power U, Miami Workers Center, and the Florida Immigrant Coalition. In 2011, she worked with PBCCIR (Palm Beach County Coalition for Immigrant Rights) during the legislative session to fight Florida's proposed SB1070 copycat laws.
“I’m fasting in solidarity with affected families in Homestead, to call for a stop deportations now, and for inclusion of all 11 million in the immigration reform bill”.

Photo Gallery of Action:

Fast Participants:

Gustavo Tellez is originally from Mexico. Now a resident of Homestead, Gustavo works as a carpenter and is learning English in the classes offer by WeCount's community school. Originario de Mexico, Gustavo has bevive en EEUU desde hace 8 anos, trabaja en construccion su especialidad es la Carpinteria. Actualmente es estudiante de Ingles en la escuela Comunitaria de WeCount!.
“I want to fast so that our sacrifice makes us heard. We want President Obama to stop the deportations of our parents, families, and friends. Too many children are left without parents when someone is deported. We want legalization for the undocumented community. We're here to work not to do anyone any harm."

Maria Marroquin is the executive director of the Mountainview Worker Center, a mother, and grandmother. Originally from Puebla, Mexico, has long been an advocate for justice. She will be fasting for 11 days; one day for each of the 11 million undocumented people to be included in immigration reform. Read her reasons for fasting in her poem: “Porque.”

Sobeida López has been working since age 7 where she helped her family work coffee fields and pick other crops in the countryside of Mexico. She came to the US 13 years ago in search of a better life for her family and now works cooking and doing childcare as a day laborer in Mountainview. She says, “Through the fast I hope to communicate with God so that he touches the heart of President Obama and moves him to stop the deportations. Each day I live with fear for my husband and my self that ICE could come to deport us and I have to ask what would happen to my daughter. If he stopped the deportations and we were given papers I could live without fear and visit my oldest daughter still in Mexico who I haven’t seen for over a decade.”

Christine Chatwell worked for many years as a social worker. Now that she is retired she enjoys using her social work skills in her volunteer work at the Day Worker Center where she teaches English through art and music. She also was the main organizer to start the workers’ “Latin Band” that performs various venues in the community. She is very passionate about social justice, especially immigration reform.
Christine believes that aspiring US citizens deserve fair and humane treatment. She decided to fast to educate people about some of the mistreatment immigrants are now receiving and to convince President Obama to stop deportations now.

Ana Vázquez is a single mother from Veracruz, México and a member of the Day Labor Center of Mountain View who works as a housecleaner. “I decided to participate in the fast to support my community where people without papers suffer from our families being divided. I hope to be included in reform so that I can travel to my country and see my three children and parents in person.”
“By fasting I want to stop being invisible… I no longer want to continue in the shadows. I send this message to the politicians and the government so that they know that we are honorable working people. We want papers so we can find stable work to live our lives in peace.”

I came to California when I was five years old. Currently I live with my four kids and husband. My four kids names are Vanessa 14, Angel 13, Ivan 8 and Valerie 6. My husband’s name is Gonzalo Maruri, we have been together for fifteen years. I decided to fast because I wanted to support immigrants who are being deported out of the United States and prevent any more families being separated.

Marco Antonio CedilloSalcedo is a proud father of three, originally from Mexico. Marco Antonio was a successful small business owner there until transnational companies arrived and undersold the market at cheaper rates bankrupting his company. He came to the US to support his family and ensure his children could continue studying for their professions in music, communications, and child psychology. He's been a member of the Day Worker Center of Mountainview since 2003.

NotOneMoreDeportation.com is a campaign made of individuals, organizations, artists, and allies to expose, confront, and overcome unjust immigration laws.

As the immigration debate continues, #Not1More enters the discussion from the place that touches people in concrete ways and can offer tangible relief. By collectively challenging unfair deportations and unjust policy through organizing, art, legislation, and action, we aim to reverse criminalization, build migrant power, and create immigration policies based on principles of inclusion.Read More »